Indianapolis Motor Speedway hasn't been one of Denny Hamlin's better qualifying tracks. In six career NASCAR Sprint Cup starts there Hamlin has started no better than 10th.

On Sunday he'll start the Crown Royal Presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 from the pole, turning in a lap in 49.24 seconds at 182.763 mph. Starting alongside Hamlin will be a driver in sore need of a win to make the Chase, Carl Edwards.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 20th, Kevin Harvick is 27th and Tony Stewart will start 28th at a track where starting up front helps enormously since passing is difficult. Kasey Kahne, who won the pole for Saturday's Nationwide race, starts 15th.